1. Related Applications
A co-pending application, Ser. No. 928,219 filed July 26, 1978, of the present inventor, entitled "Tactical Nuclear Slide Rule," discloses a slide rule for computation of an environmental parameter and of the probability of damage and response to that environment.
2. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to calculational devices, and more particularly to apparatus having indicia and scales properly placed thereon to enable the computation of specific functions relating to probability of damage resulting from a nuclear explosion.
The present apparatus combines a means for computation of any one or more particular environmental parameters for a detonation with a further means for computing a probability of damage responsive to the computed environmental parameters.
3. Prior Art
Prior art computational devices are known, particularly in the form of slide rules. However, such devices are not available for the computation of the parameters and probabilities hereinabove described.
Thus, while algorithms are known for computation of static overpressure, for example, resulting from a nuclear detonation, given the particular weapon yield, distance from the detonation and two vulnerability parameters, (see William E. Sweeney, Jr., Cyrus Moazed, and John S. Wicklund, Nuclear Weapons Environments for Vulnerability Assessments To Support Tactical Nuclear Warfare Studies (U), Harry Diamond Laboratories TM-77-4 (June, 1977). (CONFIDENTIAL)), no single device is known to enable computation of the parameters as herein described, and particularly to compute the probability of damage. Prior art calculation of such answers requires the utilization of complex electronic computing devices, involving the expenditure of significant amounts of time and funds for the programming thereof. Step-by-step solutions utilizing calculators are also available but again require expenditure of time in the solution of the equation. While a prior art computing apparatus is available for calculating an environmental parameter resulting from a nuclear detonation, the device does not provide any means for utilizing the resultant parameter to compute the probability of damage as provided by the present apparatus.